Useless OLE

[DaveNewcastle]

. . . . , you'll notice a connection from the 'electric lines' (the ECML) to the 'diesel lines' (the Newcastle-Carlisle line) which enables electric trains from the south to access the High Level Bridge and vice versa (useful if a train needs to be reversed in service).

Specific example, a 91+mkIV set heading from Edinburgh-London arrives in Newcastle and there's a fault in the leading DVT. It can set off to London via the High Level Bridge with the 91 leading and using the King Edward South junction and that crossover it can access the ECML heading south. It saves having to cancel the train, so it's very useful.

Or, as happened yesterday, the northbound electric service due to depart Newcastle at 9:53 developed a windscreen fault, and so was routed via that loop, entering Newcastle round by the High Level Bridge and then was reversed towards Edinburgh.

 

[tom1649]

It was the opening of the Windsor Link that knocked electric services on the head. GMPTE paid for the wires to go up from Edgley Junction to Hazel Grove in 1981 - the edge of their jurisdiction and also to improve journeys to Stepping Hill Hospital. Services were hourly through to Altrincham via Piccadilly, with an extra hourly shuttle at peak times from Picc. When the Windsor Link opened fully (with the May 1989 timetable) and service patterns were recast, Buxton got an half-hourly service from Piccadilly, one all-shacks and one semi-fast. This was when Hazel Grove lost its regular electric services. EMUs have been infrequent and irregular ever since.

When did the half hourly Buxton service finish then? I can only remember the hourly Buxton and hourly electric shuttle (not exactly infrequent or irregular) before 2008. Indeed the hourly electric service to Hazel Grove was the best place to find the remaining 305s and 309s in the late 90s.

 

[Ships]

See also Stockport to Hazel Grove (one EMU a week?).

I'm sure it'll get more use when the services around Manchester are re-jigged (and the line to Preston etc electrified), but at the moment it's not much use.

Used to have a regular emu service till the metrolink to altringham got converted.

Edit didn't realise it was earlier than that!

 

[Darren R]

When did the half hourly Buxton service finish then? I can only remember the hourly Buxton and hourly electric shuttle (not exactly infrequent or irregular) before 2008. Indeed the hourly electric service to Hazel Grove was the best place to find the remaining 305s and 309s in the late 90s.

Until October 1990, after which Buxton went back to hourly but Hazel Grove got two terminators per hour - each coming through from either Wigan Wallgate or Southport. So although Buxton lost out, Hazel Grove got an improved three tph (none of them using the wires!)

When I said "infrequent and irregular" I only meant compared to the regular, hourly, all day EMUs to Hazel Grove. After the Windsor Link opened, and then later when Altrincham went over to Metrolink, the Hazel Grove terminators were often diesel for various reasons, and those that were EMU operated became fewer and at irregular times (and often changed with each new timetable.)